The tournament preparation continues. Last night I ended up working with one of the students who plans to break while sabum worked with one who plans to compete in forms. So, I didn’t get to really test my own breaks. We’ll shoot for Wed. and I might even tape them.
Sabum plans to spar at this tournament so she’s trying to get some of her edge back. Aside from working on my Cho Dan test material in the advanced hour I also got to point spar her. She beat me 5-4. It was really good sparring against someone else who has control. You get to challenge yourself without worrying about getting murdered! This has not been the case when we spar against tornado student. His record this year is almost giving me a concussion and cracking another person’s ribs!
The only other thing to report is that sabum is contacting Master C. with a laundry list of questions for the May Cho Dan test. Among other things we need to find out how many breaks I can pick, if there is a preference between hand and foot techniques, and what technique I’m allowed on the concrete slab break.
She *thinks* I can use any TKD hand technique on the concrete. I really hope so because I don’t want to be limited to the palm heel. I just do not have good hand flexibility. If I try the traditional way with fingers curled I can’t get my top knuckles out of the way. If at try open hand my fingers hit before the heel. Both point to a lack of flexibility. She remembers one person using a knife edge strike. So, if others are allowed I’ll probably do that or the hammer fist. If I have to use the palm it will be open handed. I think I can power past the fingers. Where it’s caused me trouble is on a stack of five boards. The fingers got in the way and made my down stroke angle. Consequently, I broke only four of the five.
~BCP
